Maharashtra farmer groups to sell produce to housing societies

19 October 2018

The Maharashtra government’s cooperative department will facilitate direct sales of farmer produces to cooperative housing societies in a new marketing initiative and save farmers from exploiting middlemen.

Under the new initiative the department will facilitate marketing of agricultural products of farmer producer companies and rural cooperatives to urban housing societies.

Farmer-producer companies, farmer groups and other cooperatives will be able to sell produce such as vegetables, dairy products, grains and processed foods directly to housing societies in urban areas such as Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nagpur etc.

The products would be sold in shops or vehicles parked within the premises of the housing society. The responsibility of running the shop will have to be borne by housing societies.

The state government has also prescribed that a minimum of 100 sq ft of space be allotted for setting up the shop and that the expenses for it be borne by housing societies.

The idea is to provide the farmers with an assured market, while the city dwellers will get farm produce at cheaper rates.

Such a direct sale will eliminate a number middlemen and their margins, the official said.

For providing a definite shape to the initiative, the Cooperation department issued a Government Resolution (GR) on October 4. The GR said the housing societies will enter into a three-year agreement with farmer producer companies and rural cooperatives for the continuous supplies. The rates of the farm produce can be fixed by mutual consent of parties.